Combined mail-box and door-bell



J. A. McDONALD. COMBINEDMAIL BOX AND DOOR BELL'.

APPLICATION FIL'ED JULY 9| I9l8.

Patented an. 13, 1920.

JAMES A. MCDONALD, 0F FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

COMBINED MAIL-BOX AN D DOOR-BELL,

Specification of Letters Patent. [Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed July 9, 1918. Serial No. 244,055.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Mail-Boxes and Door-Bells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail boxes and door bells, and the object is to provide a simple mail box in combination with a door bell which will be automatically sounded when the mail box is opened to insert mail, and to provide a mail box which will protect the mail against burglars and rain and to provide a bell and means for operating the same which may be placed any required distance from the box, for instance, in any room of a house or dwelling. In case of rural delivery, the box can be placed on the road side and the bell can be placed in the house or dwelling so that when mail is placed in the box, the occupants of the dwelling will know when mail is deposited in the box. Another advantage is that the mail can be deposited in the box without a key so that the carrier will lose no more time in depositing the mail than in depositing in the ordinary boxes and the box is provided with a door and lock for the use of the owner. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the folloW-,

ing description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claim.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mail box. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, partly broken, showing a diiferent arrangement of the. operating battery.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The box may be mounted on a slab or post 1, or on the side of a house and consists of two parts, a stationary member 1 and a pivoted member 2. which telescope together. The two members are pivotally connected together by a rod 3 and by spiral springs 4. The springs 4 are attached to the back side of member 1 and extended forward and attached to the member 2 by rivets 5. The springs 4 will hold the member 2 normally back against the back side of member 1, but may be swung'forward so that mail can be inserted through a slot 6 in the upper side of the member 1. The member 2 is a cover for the part 1 and will keep out rain or water. 'Means are provided for preventing the part or member 2 from being drawn far enough forward for removal of anything inserted in member 1. Lugs 7 are attached rigidly to the member 2 and project through curved slots 6 in the sides of member 1. The member 2 may be sprung forward on the hinge joint until the lugs 7 reach the forward ends of the slots 6. This will not permit the back edge of member 2 to come as far forward as the front edge of member 1. Consequently, mail inserted in the slot 6 cannot be taken out of the box. A door 8 is hingedly connected to the member 2 and provided with a lock 9 and a transparent panel 10. The mail can be seen without unlocking the door, and the mail can be removed by unlocking the door.

Means are provided for giving an alarm when the mail box member 2 is swung forward for inserting the mail. The ember is swung forward by a pull on 1118 613116116 11. A battery 18 is provided and may be located at anysuitable place inside of the house or other place. An electric bell 13 is provided and this bell may be located in any suitable part of the house. A circuit is provided by connecting a wire 14 to a contact spring 15 and to the electro-magnet of the bell 13 and another wire 16 to the contact Hand to the battery 18 and thenconnecting the other pole of the battery 18 with the other pole of the bell electro-magnet by a wire 20. When the member 2 is swung forward, the contact 17 will be brought down against the contact spring 15. It is apparent that the contact making devices may be arranged in diflerent places and positions. When the member 2 is swung forward for inserting the mail, the bell will be rung. The device can be used for an ordinary door bell, as the signal will answer the purpose of a door bell. Instead of the battery 18, small batteries 21 located inside of the box may be used. Various other changes may be made without departing from my invention.

What I claim, is,

A combined mail box and door bell comprising a box provided with a stationary mail holding member having a top, av bottom, and sides and having a mail receiving ary member and slot in said top, a movable box member hingedly connected to said stationary member and movable far enough to expose said slot and forming a cover for said stationprovided with a door and a lock therefor, springs attached to said box member and holding the movable member yieldingly closed, said stationary memher having slots in the sides thereof and 10 said movable member having lugs rigid therewith and projecting in and movable in said slots but preventing the inner edge of said movable member from being drawn to the outer edge of said stationary member, and a signaling device to be automatically actuated by the moving of said movable member.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this 5th day of July, 1918.

JAMES A. MGDONALD. 

